Barbie is Having A Nightmare

Mattel is experiencing a branding, marketing and PR nightmare (see news article below). If you could advise the CEO, what would you say? As a parent or grandparent, aunt or uncle, what is your reaction to the danger imposed by these toys? As a consumer do you have concerns about products manufactured in countries where standards are different than in the U.S. and often not as strictly controlled? As the CEO of a similar company, how would you avoid these kinds of problems?

Mattel recalls 9 million toys in U.S.

BETHESDA, Maryland (CNN) -- Toymaker Mattel is voluntarily recalling 9 million of its toys in the United States including popular characters such as Batman, Barbie, Polly Pockets and a toy from Pixar's "Cars" movie because of hazards to children, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said Tuesday.

For Mattel, the parent company of Fisher-Price, it is the second toy recall in two weeks.

Its Fisher-Price preschool division recalled 1.5 million toys that were made in China, over worries that their paint may contain too much lead.

P.S. For Barbie good news, check out Second Life for Barbie at Narrative Assets.